Between the Panels
by inkydoo
Summary: Spoilers for the manga. These are scenes that fit within the continuity of the manga. They're the stories we don't get to see. EdWinesque...
1. locked out

A scene that should have taken place RIGHT after the scene in the lobby and RIGHT before Winry left Central. **Spoilers** **for Chapters 47 and 48**.

**THE SET UP**: In the midst of a battle to the death between Ed, Al, and Scar, Winry learns that her parents were killed by one of the people they were trying to help. Ed barely convinces her not to shoot Scar. When they meet again, Winry wants to know how long Ed has been hiding the truth about her parents. They ride back to the hotel in silence, but a call for Winry at the concierge desk prompts more tears.

This story takes place between the moment in the hotel lobby and the scene at the train station.

* * *

Ed counted the seconds. 

He was lying on the couch with his arm draped casually over his face. It took every ounce of self control to force his body to look relaxed. If he knew Al at all, his brother's protests would be starting again right…about…

"Brother, please stop being stubborn and go talk to her." Ed held his tongue as he listened to Al's complaints. "You saw her in the lobby…she was still crying. She's in her room, alone… What if she needs to talk to somebody?"

It was safe to react now. Ed feigned exhausted annoyance. "Talking isn't going to fix anything."

Ed waited for his brother to respond, but was a little bit surprised when he felt a large metal hand grab him by the collar and lift him completely off the couch. Ed opened his eyes wide as he saw Al looming dangerously over him.

Okay. Maybe he was laying the bravado on a little _too_ thick…

"Edward Elric," his brother demanded, "Go talk to her." Ed could feel Al glaring at him through his brother's voice alone.

"Okay, okay," Ed said in a placating voice. He held onto Al's wrist with both hands to support his own weight, taking some of the pressure off his only unbloody shirt. "If you want me to go talk to her so bad, I'll go talk to her. Just put me down already."

Al walked over to the door and practically threw his older brother outside their hotel room. He stared Ed down. "This isn't the time to be cocky or selfish, brother. She's in a lot of pain." After one last invisible angry glare, Al finally closed the door. And locked it. From the inside.

Ed's shoulders instantly slumped. So he'd pulled off the arrogant act. His own brother didn't even detect the ruse.

That fact didn't make him feel much better, though. The moment Ed had seen Winry cry again, he immediately wanted to do anything he could to stop her pain. But he couldn't go to Winry with Al watching. He couldn't flaunt the fact that he still had a body, that he could feel, that he might be able to physically comfort someone else. It was Ed's fault that Al was stuck in that unfeeling hunk of metal, and the thought of his little brother being jealous of him and hating him for what he had taken away terrified Ed. He would do anything in his power to keep that from happening.

Even if it made Ed look like a heartless jerk.

He jammed his hands into the pockets of his trousers and sighed deeply as he walked to Winry's room. Now that he was free to act, he realized he didn't know the first thing about making Winry feel better. Ed recognized the fact that he was an ace when it came to making her cry, but making her stop?

He didn't know if she would even want to see him. Winry hadn't said anything on the drive back to the hotel. She just sat in the front seat by herself and stared out the window, leaving Ed to dwell on the significance of their previous conversation.

Ed had really blown it. He should have just told Winry about her parents. She shouldn't have found out the way she did, and so soon after learning about Hughes, too. And a small annoying part of Ed's brain wouldn't stop telling him that he himself had intended to avenge the murder of Winry's parents. The moment before she showed up, Ed had been completely willing to wipe Scar off the face of the earth. He had actually intended to take a life. He was a total hypocrite. What had he been thinking?

Who was he to tell the girl not to shoot?

Ed arrived in front of Winry's door before he knew it. He stopped and strained his ears for any sounds of crying, but heard nothing. He knocked lightly on the door and waited. After a short while, Winry came to the door. Ed could tell she was a little surprised to see him. She didn't speak for a moment. "Hey," she said softly.

Her eyes were not as red as he thought they would be. She seemed to be pretty pulled together. Maybe she really wouldn't want to see him. Maybe he and Al had been completely wrong. Maybe she didn't need to talk to anybody at all. "Hey. Can…I come in?" he asked, unsure.

She nodded her head and stepped slightly behind the door so he could pass. As he came into the room, he saw that she was mostly packed. In his nervousness, Ed tried for some light conversation. "It's good to see you're almost ready to go. I don't want you to miss your train."

Winry walked around so that her back was to Ed. She went to her toolbox, which made Ed anxious. As she silently traced the corners of the metal box with her finger, he wondered if Winry was fantasizing about giving him a total wrench beat down. But when she spoke, her voice was so unexpectedly soft and fragile that it almost broke his heart. "So I'm out of the way?"

He was a little stunned. Ed figured she would be gnawing at the bit to get away from him. It took him a moment to find words. "You're too smart," he started, his voice low and serious, "to say such stupid things."

He heard her sigh, watched her shoulders fall heavily. "Then why are you here?" she asked shakily.

He looked down at his shoes, not really sure what to say. "I just…wanted to check on you, see if you needed anything." He kicked at the ground when she didn't respond. Ed thought maybe he hadn't said the right thing. "I can leave…if you want me to."

She reacted quickly. Winry turned around and he could see new tears on her face. She walked straight over to him, put her arms around his neck, and leaned against him. It was a moment before he realized he should hug her in return. Ed quickly decided her waist would be an innocuous place for his hands to go, but as he felt the cool metal of her earrings press against his neck, he realized how close they were. He didn't have too much time to think about the logistics of the situation, though, before her shaky voice brought him back to reality.

"My parents," she sobbed, "they were good people."

"I know," he said quietly, hoping she would find some comfort in his simple words.

She continued. "They didn't deserve to die." She drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Not like that."

"I know," he said again. He was so young when they left, but he still remembered how kind they were.

"I miss them…so much."

"I know." They were good doctors. Maybe if they had lived, maybe if they had been back in Risembool, his mom wouldn't have had to die, too.

She cried against him for what felt like forever, but was probably only a few minutes when all was said and done. Her breathing was much calmer when she spoke again.

"I'm worried…that you're going to die." She hugged him closer. She was mumbling into his shirt.

Ed tried to reassure her. "We're not gonna die." She had seen him in a fight for the first time. He'd had a pretty big gash on his forehead. Ed knew that seeing that didn't make her feel any better. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Ed hoped she believed him.

She didn't loosen her hold on him. "I understand that I probably couldn't help you if I was around," she said thoughtfully, "but that doesn't make waiting for you any less hard." She sighed against him and repeated what she'd said earlier. "Waiting is hard…and scary."

The irony of the situation suddenly dawned on him, and he was sick to his stomach. He was making her wait. He was making her wait just like that bastard made his mom wait all those years. Even after all this time of vowing never to be like his father, Ed realized he was doing the exact same thing.

It made him feel weak and sick, but all he could manage was a lame, "I'm sorry." He didn't have any alternative. He didn't want for her to have to wait, but he couldn't possibly allow her to become involved in something as dangerous as these homunculi. He couldn't watch someone else he cared about die right in front of him. And he'd promised to tell her everything, but he couldn't even do that.

Ed couldn't even do that.

He felt like she deserved more from him. "We're just…trying to do the right thing."

Before this, Ed thought he'd never understand a man who could leave his loved ones behind, but at this moment, he got it. He finally understood a small fraction of what that would be like.

It didn't make Ed feel any closer to dear old dad, though. That guy was still a bastard.

"We'll have to call more often," he offered. "It sounds like you have more customers these days. I might have to schedule my automail tune-ups in advance."

She kind of hit him on the shoulder. "That's what you're supposed to do anyways, stupid." She settled back into the hug and didn't move for a while. Ed was getting a little fidgety. He wanted to move, or talk, or do anything besides just stand here with a girl in his arms for no reason.

"Ed?" she asked shyly.

"Yeah?" he replied, a little more at ease.

She seemed to hesitate before she spoke. "Your mom would be so proud of you."

It was a simple statement, but those words cut right through him. Without really knowing what he was doing, Ed wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. Half of him wanted to leave, to scream at her, to tell her just how wrong she was. No mother could be proud of a son who had done what Ed did to his brother. No mother could possibly love her child after something like that. No mother could be proud of such a weak child, a child who clung so hard to the past that he used science to try to raise the dead. No mother could love a child who had failed so dismally, creating a monster instead.

That's what Ed was: weak. At this very moment, he was close to breaking down. If she worded it right, Winry could probably use it as an ad campaign: the only parts of him that would still work would be the damned automail.

The other half of him, though, was overjoyed to hear those words. There were maybe five people on the planet who knew Trisha Elric when she lived. They didn't know from stories or from pictures, but actually _knew_ her. They could corroborate her existence with their very own memories. Only five, and three of them were in this hotel.

Two of them were in this room.

Ed didn't have to describe his mom's smiles to Winry. He didn't have to tell her how kind his mother had been. He didn't have to explain to Winry why he had wanted to bring his mother back. She knew.

Winry was there when his mom had died.

Winry took care of him and Al, even when she had lost her own parents.

Winry wouldn't lie to him.

Winry would tell him everything.

He was hugging her so tightly he was having a hard time breathing, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to thank her, to say something that could convey how grateful he was for her words. He wanted to tell her how much it meant to him that she cared, that she remembered, that she had somehow strengthened him, but he could not speak and hold back the tears at the same time. Ed needed to be strong. He needed to be strong for Al and for Winry. He breathed deeply for several minutes to try and get control of himself.

When he did speak, it was completely uninspiring. "You should finish packing or you really will miss that train." He was starting to think that would be alright, but Al had already told him not to be selfish. He dropped his arms to his side suddenly. "I'll go get Al. We'll walk you to the platform."

Winry looked a little self conscious as she unwrapped her arms from around Ed's neck. "Yeah. Of course." She turned around and quickly checked over the room to make sure she had everything. "I'll…meet you in the hallway…I guess."

Ed turned around and left. When the door was closed, he leaned back against the wall. He lived by the laws of equivalent exchange, but as he thought about Winry, he felt completely lost. He walked towards his hotel room, absorbed in thought.

Winry never did anything to deserve this kind of heartache, and he felt powerless. There was nothing he could do to make this equal. What could Ed possibly do or say that would take away Winry's pain?

What could he give that could possibly repay Winry for all the crap she'd put up with, for everything she'd done?

Ed tried the door to his room, but it was still locked.

* * *

A/N: Hey. Look. I wrote something that's not about Trigun! Who knew it could be done? This is a present for Mitai because she reminds me to write. (Okay...so maybe guilt DOES work a little bit...BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT.)

This story is a one-shot, but I'm getting pressured into making this a series of extra scenes, and I feel like I might be succumbing to peer pressure...


	2. nuts and boys :: the basics

DOUBLE FEATURE.

The first one-shot has no spoilers really, but it takes place while Ed, Al, and Mustang are talking to Wrath in chapter 56.

The second one-shot is not manga-based, so I felt bad about posting it in its own chapter. It's just cute cuteness. I'm sorry. It was just too cute in my head not to write.

* * *

Nuts and Boys…er…Bolts

Winry sat alone at her workbench. She hadn't realized what a solitary creature she'd become until she moved to Rush Valley. This was nothing like home.

The hustle and bustle couldn't match that of Central, but it made Risembool look like a backwater country village. Something big was always going on here. And the land was so dry and rocky, there weren't even patches of grass. And even if there was grass, apartments were so small and jammed together that people were practically living on top of each other.

And the customers. There were so many customers. It was exhausting.

But it was also kind of nice. She finally felt like she had a life of her own. She was making new friends, new business contacts. She had access to all the tools she could ever want, and new products she wanted to try out. She was learning, stretching, and challenging herself. And it was good to have so much to do. It made her feel great to be able to help so many people. And it kept her from worrying about a certain pair of teenaged boys and whatever dangerous thing they were doing at the moment.

She got a lot of customers here. Initially, she was sure it was because she was the only mechanic the famed Fullmetal Alchemist would allow to touch his automail. Before she could let it go to her head, though, she realized most of the people coming into Garfield's shop had no clue she was even associated with anybody in the military.

After carefully considering the demographics of the population, she quickly realized that the surge in clientele was probably just due to the fact that she was a girl.

At first, she was Rush Valley's new oddity. She sometimes overheard comments outside the shop.

"A sixteen year old girl who wants to be an automail mechanic? Wait until the boys back home got a load of this!"

"And she's cute, too."

"At least now that creep Garfield won't be the only one in the room. He's a good mechanic, but there's just something nice about having a pretty lady looking out for you."

Winry couldn't _believe_ how dense some of these males were. She had ears, for crying out loud!

She didn't want to be a novelty, so she worked twice as hard to prove that her talent had nothing to do with anything but skill, experience, and ingenuity. Before long, she was the biggest draw in town. When everyone finally found out that _the_ Edward Elric relied exclusively on her handiwork, it was no mystery why.

She clearly wasn't in this line of work for the money, even though this was a lucrative field. Her customers paid for their prosthetics up front. When she came back to them with a model which far exceeded the agreed upon specs, she would just wave off protests or offers of extra monetary compensation.

"I just wanted to try something new. Let me know how you like it."

She was always trying something new. She was always watching for weaknesses in her designs, for innovative ideas, for stronger materials. She always strived to become better. It was her responsibility to become the best. She had people relying on her.

Before, she had been making automail for Ed: the childhood friend, the arrogant teenager, the only guy she'd ever seen take a blow from her wrench and still remain conscious. But seeing the Fullmetal Alchemist, a state alchemist, a member of the military, at work…it galvanized her to become a better mechanic.

Winry didn't realize it before she saw Ed actually engaged in a fight. She always figured she was providing a crutch for him, a temporary fix. He wanted his real arm and leg back and what she had to offer was just second best, a consolation, a tool to get what he really wanted. Now she knew better. Now she knew that one misplaced screw really could spell the end for him. She realized that he relied on her, that he trusted her, that in the heat of battle, she was the one standing between Ed and certain death.

He might not always tell her everything, but he trusted her with his life. Even if he never called.

Grr. Boys.

That was another thing about this place: if she wanted to, she could have a different date for every day of the week. Again, she chalked it up to demographics. Guys around here acted like they'd never seen a black tube top before. Frankly, it was a little unsettling to get so much attention from the opposite sex. She didn't trust it. It was too free, too easy to come by. It even sounded crazy to her, but she almost felt like she hadn't earned it. Winry hadn't done anything to deserve special attention.

She was just…_there_.

She felt like the guys hadn't done their homework, either. If they had, if they knew her, they'd understand that these shows of affection, these attempts to garner attention, they weren't gonna work.

It wasn't like she felt as though she didn't deserve a special someone. She knew she was kind and caring, dedicated and honest. And it wasn't like she thought ill of the guys who were sweet on her, either. As a matter of fact, a lot of them were strong and tall…pretty cute guys.

They just…weren't…what she wanted.

Winry was thinking too much. She needed to get this ankle joint finished in the next hour or she'd never be ready to fit Tetsu with his new leg. She was feeling proud of herself. The new design was lighter in weight, but she was pretty sure it was just as durable as Tetsu's old leg. And she was glad Tetsu was going to be the one trying it out. He was no Ed, but when it came to automail destruction, he was the closest thing Winry had.

The phone rang and she sighed before putting her calibrating tools down. "Atelier Garfield's. Yes?"

There wasn't an immediate answer. She thought she heard…Al…in the background.

Speak of the devil. He only called when something needed fixing. And she'd just left central not a day ago. She was absolutely swamped! That inconsiderate… There was no way Winry could travel back to Central for a repair right now.

She could already feel her blood pressure rising. "Ed?!" No reply. It had to be him.

"What? Did you break it?!"

Why else would he call?

* * *

The Basics

Ed and Al were finally back. They'd been with their new teacher for too long. Winry was getting tired of having to walk home from school by herself. When they got home, she was so excited to see them, so ready to tell them what she'd been up to.

So when they basically brushed off her existence and spent all of every day drawing circles with funny designs instead, she was pretty hurt.

Winry didn't understand what the draw was. She thought chemistry was fun in school, but what Ed and Al were doing wasn't even covered in the text book. And the designs. She vaguely remembered Ed drawing something like that around one of her broken dolls before a bright flash of light scared her nearly to death.

And it used to be the three of them together. Now, it was her…and them…

She felt lost without them, and even though she didn't like alchemy, she was willing to learn more if it meant being included.

Late one afternoon when she was walking down to the river, Al ran past her.

"Hey Winry!" he said as he kept running.

"Hey!" she shouted when he didn't stop. "Where are you going?"

Al shouted over his shoulder as he continued to run. "Ed needs another book."

She sighed and continued to walk down to the river. When she got there, she saw Ed at the riverbank reading a book and drawing circles in the dirt with a stick. Winry walked over to him. Ed looked up, briefly acknowledging her existence. Then all his attention was once again focused on his reading.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing you'd understand," he replied.

She sighed. Ed used to be nicer. "If you told me what you were doing, then I'd understand."

Ed looked up at her. "It's too complicated. I don't have time."

Winry contemplated just leaving, but decided to give it one more try. "Granny says you only really understand something when you can explain it to someone else," she goaded him. "Maybe you don't even know what you're doing."

Ed huffed and put the book down. "I know what I'm doing. It's alchemy. It's science. What do you want to know about it?"

Winry kicked at the dirt she was standing on. "Well…the basics, I guess."

"Okay." Ed sat up straight. "The basic principle of alchemy is equivalent exchange. To get something, you have to give something of equal value in return. It is the underlying basis for everything." He picked up is book. "Does that answer your question?"

Winry was a little confused. Life was just too complicated. There was no way such a simple concept was guiding all of existence. "It's the underlying basis for…_everything?_"

"Yeah, why?" Ed was already skimming the page he had been reading, looking for where he'd left off.

"Well…I don't know," she said, unsure of herself. "Does that work…with people, too?"

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. You work hard, you get ahead. It's the same idea." He still had his eyes on the book.

"What about…in matters…of the heart?" she asked cautiously.

Ed's eyes suddenly shot up to her face. It seemed like he couldn't talk for a moment. "_What?_" he finally sputtered out.

Winry was quiet for a moment. _What did I get when Mom and Dad died? How do I give it back so I can have them instead?_

That's what she wanted to ask him, but as she saw him, and saw all the different drawings he'd made around himself, and saw how focused he was, she just couldn't do it. Even if Ed was just doing this just to escape the loss of his mother, who was she to take that away?

"Like what, exactly, Winry?" she heard Ed ask.

She thought of an alternate situation. "What if…a girl is in love with you—"

"WHAT?!" Ed shouted.

Winry stomped her foot in frustration. "Would you just listen?!" Ed put the book down and crossed his arms. She started again. "What if a girl is in love with you, but you don't love her back? Where's the equivalent exchange there?"

"Come on, Winry, this is gross. This doesn't have anything to do with science," Ed protested.

"_You said_ equivalent exchange was 'the basis for everything!' If it is, then you should be able to answer the question!" She wasn't going to let this one go.

Ed looked at her defiantly, then looked away. He was quiet for a long time.

She thought she'd proven him wrong when he finally spoke up, his expression thoughtful.

"Why…would I not love her back?" he asked seriously.

He looked straight at her, and for some reason Winry got flustered. Her mouth worked on its own. "Ed! You alchemy geek! If you…if you…if you don't drink your milk, you'll be short forever!"

She turned and ran back to the road. In the distance, she heard Ed shout after her, "You just wait! I'm going to be SEVEN FEET TALL!"

Al was jogging back with a book when Winry ran past him. She didn't even stop to say anything. He stopped running and watched as she ran back to her house.

What had his brother done now?

* * *

A/N: YAY FOR ONE-SHOTS. Thanks for the reviews! I like reviews! They make me write more! 


	3. got milk?

I think this takes place somewhere around chapter 35 or 36. (I can't quite remember at this exact moment!)

Also, if you haven't already, you should read Jaya Mitai's awesome fic "Perfect after all." Really. You owe it to yourself.

* * *

_Milk is a perilous evil we all must face. Though disguised as a nutritious supplement, it must be avoided at all costs. It is true that small amounts of milk are beneficial, but only the bare minimum must be utilized for positive results. Despite this, thousands have been duped into drinking this dubious elixir to attain unreachable heights. Even when exposed to the truth, people still cling to the myth that milk is a good and nourishing drink._

_What is amazing about this vile liquid is its virtually endless potential to be converted into something truly good. It is during this conversion process, however, that the real and diabolical nature of the substance is at once understood. When exposed to periods of time and strains of bacteria that would make any wholesome food rotten and unfit for human consumption, milk actually improves._

_I was shocked when I realized this, but after closer inspection, it made perfect sense._

_In small quantities, sour cream can have a hugely positive impact on flavor in certain dishes. But what is sour cream if not rotten milk? It's as if the evil properties somehow dissipate when enough time has passed._

_Yogurt should be horrible. It should not taste as creamy and delicious as it does. It's teeming with bacteria, bacteria that our bodies use to decompose matter. But somehow, this bacteria seems to only affect the malevolent properties within milk. What is left is an even purer substance than sour cream._

_The pinnacle of milk's metamorphosis, however, has to be cheese. _

_How can something so good, so delicious, so wonderful come from something as disgusting and putrid as milk? It baffles me even still. It would almost be understandable if it were an isolated case, but there are so many different kinds of tasty cheeses that it makes one think that perhaps dabbling with milk is not as bad as it really is._

_THIS IS NOT AN ASSUMPTION ANYONE SHOULD MAKE!_

_Even though there are benefits to the consumption of cheese, yogurt, and even sour cream in small quantities, milk is not something that people should tamper with. It should be left to professional dairy farmers. I suggest a nationwide campaign designed to inform citizens of the dangers of milk and to discourage each and every one of our people from attempting to gain a few mythical inches by imbibing the foul fluid. Any gain that people think they might obtain is outweighed by the potentially hazardous affects of milk._

"Jeez, Fullmetal," Mustang sighed as he skimmed the report. It just went on and on and on like this. "What are you trying to do to me?" he muttered as he flipped to another page which simply listed different types of food.

…  
_1227. Pizza  
1228. Chicken_  
_1229. Pasta  
__1230. Potatoes  
__1231. Omlettes  
__1232. Sandwiches  
__1233. Fruit  
__1234. Crackers  
__1235. Bread  
_…

Mustang slowly realized this was an exhaustive list of what one could put cheese on.

Until recently, Edward had been using a fairly simple code that looked like an ordinary traveler's journal, but ever since the boys had gotten a hold of Marcoh's notes, the code became more complicated. Now, Mustang was no dope, but he simply could not break Ed's new code. There were two possible reasons. The first was that the report was so mind-numbingly boring that he couldn't even stand to read through it.

The second reason, which Mustang really didn't want to admit, was that the code was simply too advanced for him. He could run the report past Breda, but he wasn't sure how much information his subordinates really needed to know. And there would be no living with Edward if he found out that Mustang could not actually read the reports he was submitting.

Mustang growled. For all he knew, this wasn't a report at all! Maybe Ed really did have some sort of pathological hatred for milk.

Mustang tried one more time. He flipped to another random page of the report.

_Other guys act so high and mighty. They think they're better than everyone because they're so tall. _

_Well, just wait until the vile effects of milk catch up with them! I will be standing over them some day, victorious in my towering height that I _earned_. I didn't do it by taking shortcuts like drinking milk. I will have done it all on my own! _

Damn. This kid had problems.

He couldn't read anymore of this. It didn't matter anyway. The operation was already in full swing. If Mustang wanted to know more, he would have to get Sheska to smuggle him into the archives again.

Mustang's secretary interrupted him and his thoughts with a telephone and a disapproving look. "_Someone_ is on the phone for you again, sir."

Mustang quickly dropped the report and picked up the phone instead. "Elizabeth," he said slowly, relaxing into his chair. "It's so good to hear from you…"

* * *

A/N: Poor Ed. He's short and he knows it. THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!!! 

If anybody has any suggestions or ideas they want to see fics about, then I'm opening the floor to requests.


	4. changing hands

Okay guys, spoilers for the last chapter of the manga.

I SAID SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

Okay, you have been warned.

This takes place a few days before Ed and Winry are at the train station. Someone noticed that the hoodie Ed is wearing at the end when he arrives at Winry's house is the exact same hoodie Winry is wearing when She and Ed are at the train station. NO LIE! This story attempts to explain what she's doing with the jacket and why she reacts to Ed the way she does.

* * *

It had been months since Ed and Al had gone. Months! Al was still off somewhere in the country thanking the countless people who made it possible for them to achieve their goals. After that, Al planned to continue on to the east to learn what he could from the people there. Ed had to split up to thank a whole hoard of other people who helped, then he was heading west to do the same.

Ed had stopped by Winry's house before he continued on, though, which kind of threw Winry for a loop.

It wasn't that she didn't want him there. That wasn't the case at all. It's just that he was making the trip alone, without Al, and wasn't even using his automail as an excuse to come over. And this was entirely out of his way. Risembool was in the eastern part of the country, and he was aiming to get to the west. This meant he was specifically coming to this location. This was just...a visit.

Of course, he would get a tune-up. She would make sure of that. She knew he was capable of destroying her mechanical artistry, whether he could use alchemy or not. Still, she didn't quite know what his reasons were for coming here.

Naturally, he showed up unannounced, and naturally, he disappeared after dinner. She figured he had made the trek to his parents' graves that evening, and Winry never felt like she could intrude on that. Still, the sun had gone down hours ago and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since he left the dinner table and walked outside with Den at his heels.

And there was another thing: when he arrived, he had hugged her. Really hugged her. Maybe it was the slightly chilly gusts that blew around them, or that he seemed to have gotten a little taller while traveling abroad, or maybe it was due to the fact that the visit was so unexpected. Whatever the reason, something felt different. She had seen him approaching down the road to her granny's house and had been completely prepared to berate him yet again about not calling before he showed up, but when she got close enough to start yelling, something in his eyes stopped her. She just stopped and looked at him, unable to say much of anything.

"What, no wrench?" he asked jokingly as he walked up to her. He stopped in front of her. "Winry, you're getting soft."

She was honestly confused by his manner. He was looking at her almost like he had arrived at his final destination. He wasn't antsy to leave or pushy to get his automail tuned. Ed almost looked like he wanted...to stay for a while. He had a bag slung over one shoulder, so when he hugged her, he grabbed her around the waist with his other arm so casually and pulled her close. Needless to say, she was surprised.

"I...didn't want to ruin any of my new tools," she managed to mumble into his collar, "on that hard head of yours."

He laughed at that and squeezed her a little tighter. Then he let her go and greeted Granny. The whole exchange probably took about seven seconds all said and done, but the situation replayed itself over and over in her head.

Why was this so different?

A subtle scratching at the door drew her attention away from her thoughts. She opened the door to find Den waiting patiently to come back inside. If Den was back, that meant Ed wasn't too far away. She looked around the side of the house and found a ladder propped up against the roof. After hesitating a moment, she decided to climb up.

There she found Ed. He was leaning back on his elbows looking over the countryside. When she got to the top of the ladder, he looked over at her.

"There you are," she said quietly. "I was starting to think you'd split town." She walked over to where he was lying.

He smiled at her again, that same, strange smile as before. "Hey," was all he said.

He seemed so calm to her. She didn't feel that calm. She sat down next to him. "I made up the guest room for you," she said. After a moment she continued. "So, you're just staying for a few days?" She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Just a few days," he didn't.

A moment of silence.

"What are you doing up here?"

"Thinking," he replied. "I'm working on a theory."

She smiled. "Of course you are," she said. She could have asked him what it was about, but she didn't. Probably something to do with alchemy. She didn't know whether or not this was a sore spot with him. She knew he didn't perform alchemy anymore, but she didn't know if that bothered him or if he had any interest in talking about it.

Another moment of silence. Winry shivered lightly in the cool breeze. She rubbed her arms with her hands, trying to warm up a bit. "Well, not that this isn't exhilarating, but I think I'm going to go downstairs," she started to get up, but before she could, Ed started moving.

He pulled off the old hoodie he was wearing, revealing the white button-down shirt with rolled up sleeves he often wore, and offered it to her nonchalantly. "Here." He thrust the jacket toward her.

Somewhere in the back of Winry's mind, she noted that he was asking her to stay in a very dense, boy-like kind of way. The rest of her brain was trying to figure out why he was acting like this.

Not that she wanted him to stop, particularly...

She threw the hoodie around her shoulders and felt the warmth surround her. It was a little big for her. Still, it was very comfortable.

"You like it?" he asked off-handedly, almost reading her thoughts. He didn't wait for an answer. "You can keep it. The sleeves are getting too short for me." He continued to gaze out along the countryside.

After a little while, she looked over at Ed. He must have been deep in thought. She noticed goosebumps forming on his arms. "Aren't you cold?" she asked, feeling a little guilty.

"Nah," he answered, "sometimes...it's good to feel." She looked back down, looking at both his arms again, both made out of flesh and bone. After a moment, she scooted up next to him. He looked at her, a little surprised, but didn't make any move to stop her.

"Hey Winry?"

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath. "Do you ever think about the fact that I basically have nothing here to my name?"

"You mean," she said cautiously as she unconsciously leaned slightly away from him, "nothing to keep you here?"

Ed shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean," he said, backtracking. "What I mean is, well, I mean, I don't even have a home to call my own." He paused. "Does that...bother you?" He sounded almost nervous.

"Is this for your theory?" Winry asked, confused.

"Well, I guess you could kind of say that, kind of," Ed verbally squirmed.

Winry was really confused now. "What are you trying to get at?" she pointedly asked.

"I guess, you could say, it's like...equivalent exchange. I mean, if I were to, uh, if I-"

Winry cut him off. "Okay, nevermind." She smiled.

"Never-wha?" he asked, surprised.

She leaned in a little closer, a little bolder. "If you start spouting off alchemy nerdiness, you're just going to ruin the moment."

"The...moment?" he cautiously asked.

"Yeah," she stated. "The moment. We're having one, aren't we?"

Ed looked around at Winry, at the stars, at the beautiful countryside that stretched out all around them. It was peaceful and quiet and they were together.

"Yeah," he admitted, putting an arm around her to pull her a little closer and smiling, "I guess we are."

* * *

There you have it. Some cuteness for Ed and Winry, which is OFFICIAL, by the way! GLEE! I LOVE THIS MANGA! :)


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